HUGHES
The surname Hughes is principally associated with the British Isles, and its earliest attestations are found in Wales. It is a patronymic name, indicating descent from an individual bearing the personal name Huw or Hugh, a form of the Germanic name Hugo. The Germanic root hug conveys the meaning “heart”, “mind” or “spirit”, and thus the surname may be interpreted as “son of Hugh” or “descendant of Hugo”.
In the Welsh linguistic tradition the name appears as Huw, derived from the Old Celtic element Hu, which has been linked to “fire” or “inspiration”. The Christian faith of the bearers is recorded from the early modern period, and the surname exhibits the typical Celtic pattern of deriving from the name of a parent. Consequently, Hughes exemplifies a Celtic‑type patronymic formed on a Germanic personal name that entered Wales after the Norman conquest.
Historical documents record the name from the early fourteenth century. The Pipe Rolls of Somerset for the year 1327, during the reign of King Edward III, contain the entry for Thomas Hughes. Later parish records from Swansea, Glamorgan, note a Stephen Hughes married in 1670 and a Dorothy Hughes christened in 1687, while London registers record Anne, daughter of Maurice Hughes, christened in 1586. These sources illustrate the diffusion of the surname across both Welsh and English territories.
Thus, the surname Hughes encapsulates a complex onomastic history: a Germanic element transferred through Norman French, adapted into Celtic linguistic forms, and perpetuated as a hereditary designation of lineage within the Christian communities of the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Hughes surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- William
Female
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Hakes
- Hase
- Hawks
- Haye
- Hayes
- Hays
- Hayse
- Haze
- Hea
- Heugh
- Heughes
- Heughs
- Heus
- Hews
- Heyes
- Heys
- Hicks
- Hoegh
- Hoes
- Hooghe
- Houes
- Hough
- Houghes
- Houghs
- Houkes
- Howes
- Hudges
- Hue
- Hueghes
- Hues
- Huges
- Hugghes
- Hugh
- Hughas
- Hughe
- Hughees
- Hughess
- Hughey
- Hughie
- Hughies
- Hughjes
- Hugho
- Hughs
- Hughues
- Hughus
- Hughy
- Hugnes
- Hugues
- Huhes
- Huies
- Huigh
- Huis
- Hus
- Huse
- Huson
- Huus
- Huwes
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Hughes in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Hughes are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Shortbread.
There are approximately 157,694 people named Hughes in the UK. That makes it the 21st most common surname in Britain. Around 2,422 in a million people in Britain are named Hughes.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Wales
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Welsh
Famous people named Hughes
- Howard Hughes - American aviator, engineer, industrialist, and film producer (1905 to 1976)
- Ted Hughes - Poet and children's writer (1930 to 1998)
- Mark Hughes - Welsh football player and manager
- Geoffrey Hughes - Actor (1944 to 2012)
- Glenn Hughes - Singer-songwriter
- Tom Hughes - Actor
- Finola Hughes - Actress
- Frieda Hughes - -born Australian poet and painter
- Emlyn Hughes - Football player and manager (1947 to 2004)
- Langston Hughes - American writer and social activist (1902 to 1967)
- Aaron Hughes - Football player
- Brendan Hughes - Irish republican (1948 to 2008)
- Nicholas Hughes - -American fisheries biologist (1962 to 2009)
- Chris Hughes - American entrepreneur
- Simon Hughes - Politician
- London Hughes - Comedian and actress
- Shirley Hughes - Children's writer and illustrator
- Peter Hughes - Actor (1922 to 2019)
- Lee Hughes - Football player
- Jake Hughes - Racing driver
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.